Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

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Band
Dark Moor
Title
Dark Moor
Type
LP/EP
Company
Arise
YOR
2004
Style
Power
4/14/2004 - Review by: Frank Hill
One of the better symphonic power metal bands
After the release of (or just prior to) the highly orchestrated Dark Moor EP 'Between Light and Darkness', female vocalist Elisa C. Martin, in 2003) Albert Maroto (guitar) and Jorge Sáez (drums) decided to persue their own interests and left to form their own band, Dreamaker. Dark Moor continued on by recruiting new vocalist Alfred Romero. Instead of a female lead, they now have the traditional male power metal vocalist.

Along with their great sound, Elisa was a big selling point for me, so I was hoping that Alfred would be a decent replacement. He is high-pitched like most in the genre and is as emotive as Elisa, but I don't think his tone cuts to the bone like hers does. Although less of a stong presence, his vocals do blend in well with the overall sound of the music.

'Dark Moor' isn't any heavier than prior releases, but I found it more orchestral with many of the numbers giving off the compositional quality of an 1800's Mozart or Bizet piece; maybe even The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Lyrically they seem to be covering some darker subject matter with most of it about historical figures like Phillip the II, Attila the Hun and others.

Missing are the more acoustical, romantic numbers that I enjoyed from the first half of 'BLAD', but they do keep an epic scope to most of the songwriting especially for the tour de force final track "The Dark Moor" with its mutiple, overlapping vocals. Songs that should be more meanacing, though sound a bit too glorious.

Dark Moor lost a lot of members, but they didn't lose any significant part of their sound. All in all they are still one of the better symphonic power metal bands out there, but I missed the laments of Elisa.
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    3.5 :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: DARK MOOR
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Ancestral Romance
2010
Scarlet
Anthony Burke1/6/2011
3
Between Light and Darkness
2003
Arise
Frank Hill5/22/2003
4
Beyond The Sea
2005
Arise
Anthony Burke3/4/2005
-
Dark Moor
2004
Arise
Frank Hill4/14/2004
3.5

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: DARK MOOR
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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